A distinguished panel of judges, all eminent biographers, has nominated ten books for the Plutarch Award, honoring the best biography of 2018. The Plutarch is the only international literary award judged and presented by biographers.
Following the announcement of the ten nominees, BIO’s Plutarch jury will narrow the list to four finalists, and BIO voting members around the world will choose the winning biography. The winner will be announced on May 18, 2019, at the … Read More »

Here are the nominees for the 2019 Plutarch Award, honoring the best biography published in 2018, listed in alphabetical order by author:
Commended Books
In a year when an abundance of fine biographies went to press, the 2019 Plutarch Award Jury would also like to honor the following eight works:
An American Odyssey: The Life and Work of Romare Bearden by Mary Schmidt Campbell, Oxford University Press
Invisible: The Forgotten Story of the Black Woman … Read More »

Alison Owings knew she wanted to write about homelessness, but she wasn’t sure how to approach the topic. Then, on a walking tour of San Francisco’s notorious Tenderloin neighborhood, she met Del Seymour, an elderly African American man leading a group of curious whites through the streets he knew so well. After all, he had earned the unofficial title of “the mayor of the Tenderloin.”
As he recounted some of his experiences as a homeless… Read More »

Thank you so much, Will, for that incredibly generous introduction, and for all the thought and effort you’ve put into this. And many thanks to Jamie, and David, and Adam, for making me blush for the last twenty minutes.
Since David is now finishing his biography of Eleanor Roosevelt, everyone who knows him knows that he rarely comes out of his writing cave for ANYTHING at this stage of the game, so I’m so happy… Read More »

On November 7, BIO presented its fifth annual Editorial Excellence Award to Tim Duggan, editor and publisher of Tim Duggan Books, an imprint of Crown at Penguin Random House. The Biographer’s Craft will have a write-up of the evening’s events in December. You can read Duggan’s remarks on accepting the award here.… Read More »

By John A. Farrell
Did liberal scholarship, degrading the principle of truth with postmodern theory, pave the way for Donald Trump’s duplicity?
Biographer Nigel Hamilton, a former BIO president, proposed as much in a biting address that launched “Different Lives,” a three-day conference on biography at the University of Groningen in The Netherlands, in late September.
“The White House was won . . . by a real estate developer committed to a platform of misogyny,… Read More »

By James McGrath Morris
So you land a terrific two-hour interview in the course of researching your next biography. What now?
If you want to obtain a full transcript of your interview, the Internet will link you to two providers that I have found to be well suited for our line of work. In the past, most transcription services were designed for legal use and were costly because of
the demand among clients for precision.… Read More »

BIO is accepting applications for the Hazel Rowley Prize. The prize rewards a first-time biographer with: funding (the $2,000 award); a careful reading from an established agent; one year’s membership in BIO (along with registration to the annual Biographers International
Organization Conference); and publicity for the author and project through the BIO website, The Biographer’s Craft newsletter, etc. The prize is a way for BIO To advance its mission and extend its reach to talented… Read More »

Welcome to BIO!

Biographers International Organization has a worldwide membership of biographers. We also welcome those working on documentaries and biographies for young adults or children. Whether you're a writer, editor, or agent, first-timer or veteran, published or unpublished, aspiring or merely looking, BIO is here for you.

BIO’s Mentoring Program

Feeling stuck? Whatever state your biography’s in—vague idea, proposal, well underway—BIO’s experienced biographers can help. For a limited time, we
are offering a one-hour phone or email mentoring session for $60. (The
cost of any additional sessions can be worked out with your mentor.) Email Cathy Curtis at cathy.curtis [at] gmail.com with a brief statement about the
nature of your project and your goals for the one-hour session, and you will be matched with a mentor who can help you get unstuck.

Featured BIO Members

Featured Website

Betty Boyd Caroli's new book, First Ladies: The Ever Changing Role, from Martha Washington to Melania Trump is now out in paperback.

Featured Video

Heath Lee discussed her The League of Wives: The Untold Story of the Women Who Took on the U.S. Government to Bring Their Husbands Home as part of the Great Lives Series at the University of Mary Washington.